The machine that goes on general sale will probably not be quite as sophisticated as Jimmy, but will still be able to walk, sing, translate languages and even serve beer. In fact, Intel claims it can be "programmed to do whatever you might like."

Brian David Johnson, a futurist at Intel, says that the robots are very similar to smartphones, in that they can be completely pimped out with a wide range of downloadable apps.

The robots are expected to initially retail for $1,600 (£956) but that price could fall to the $1,000 mark fairly soon after.

Interested customers will have to 3D print their own versions of Jimmy, with all of the blueprints available from Intel for free. Certain components, such as the Edison processor and motors, will need to be purchased from the company.

With so many tech companies scrapping for control over the wearables market, Intel might have just nudged itself ahead of the competition.

"What's so exciting about the open source model is the public gets involved in developing this first generation of crowd-sourced, consumer robots," said Johnson. "We all get a say in what they do, and together we will come up with far more ideas, more innovation, and more creativity."

However, Stephen Hawking might be less impressed by this than most. Earlier this month, the physicist expressed his fears over artificial intelligence, saying, "Success in creating AI would be the biggest even in human history. Unfortunately, it might also be the last."